Dubai Customs seized 1,960 white weapons in Jebel Ali & TECOM Customs Center during an attempt to smuggle two shipments of these weapons into the UAE. The inspectors of Jebel Ali Customs suspected the two shipments, which were discovered to contain 1520 knives, 30 swords, 110 pistol holders, 200 range boxes, and 100 gun cleaner tools.

Dubai Customs continues its efforts to thwart any attempt to smuggle white weapons through regular seizures, as part of its active contribution to the measures taken by the state and the community to curb the phenomenon of white weapons’ use by teenagers and young men in violent fights and clashes. The injuries and the huge losses caused by these clashes spurred Dubai Customs centres to exert their utmost efforts to prevent the entry of such weapons to the UAE, and to protect teenagers and young men from the potential lethal dangers of these weapons.

Ahmad Bin Lahej, Director of Jebel Ali Customs Centres Department, declared that the “seizure of this large quantity of white weapons reflects the ability of Dubai Customs inspectors to foil all smuggling attempts and to effectively combat new ploys and schemes adopted by the smugglers in their attempts to enter prohibited and restricted items into the UAE.” He continued to explicate the advanced inspection practices of the Department: “We use the best global inspection techniques supported by the latest and most advanced scanners, which identify the nature of shipped items, whether they be in containers or in commercial parcels.”

“Inspectors in Jebel Ali and TECOM Customs Center were able to successfully detect the white weapons, which were declared as sports products by the importer company, by capitalizing on their accumulated experience acquired through continual training. Their ability to detect the smuggled items and seizing them in a professional manner have reflected the effectiveness of inspection operations carried out in Jebel Ali Customs Centres,” Bin Lahej added.

Bin Lahej stressed that Dubai Customs is dedicated to the protection of society against the dangers of white weapons. Therefore, it uses advanced inspection procedures around the clock to strictly deter every and any attempt to traffic these type of weapons into the UAE; as part of the Department’s overall mission to eliminate the horrific damages and human losses caused by the use of these weapons in violent clashes amongst teenagers and young men.

Bin Lahej elaborated upon this harmful societal trend and Dubai Customs’ role in combatting it: “This is a regretful phenomenon that has been witnessed by our society in recent times. Therefore, we urge cooperation with all local and federal institutions involved in the combat of this phenomenon, to stop and eradicate it.”

Those efforts are part of Dubai Customs’ commitment to its role as the first line of defense protecting the security, stability, and economy of the society. Dubai Customs enhances its capacity to fulfill its mission through the development of its human resources and the application of the latest techniques. The procedures taken to thwart smuggling attempts begin before the arrival of the shipments to the Customs outlets, through the adoption of pre-detection IT applications. The Risk Engine accurately assesses the risk of the shipments’ content. Shipments, if proven to be devoid of any risks, are immediately cleared. This procedure allows 88% of shipments, which are risk-free, to be cleared through Dubai Customs outlets in less than two minutes; while the risky shipments are referred for inspection by Dubai Customs inspectors.

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Background information

Dubai Customs is a Government body that facilitates free trade and help secure the integrity of Dubai's borders. It aims to be a world leader in Customs administration through innovative and proactive services. It recognizes the importance of its role in the trade supply chain and endeavour to intervene in the flow of goods and passengers. Collecting customs revenue and administering trade measures are other major duties.

Dubai Customs is a Government body that facilitates free trade and help secure the integrity of Dubai's borders. It aims to be a world leader in Customs administration through innovative and proactive services. It recognizes the importance of its role in the trade supply chain and endeavour to intervene in the flow of goods and passengers. Collecting customs revenue and administering trade measures are other major duties.